KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 ― The government still requires Malaysians to include details of their race in official government forms as the information is needed for formulation of government policies.

Minister in the Prime Minister's department Datuk Liew Vui Keong said in a written reply, that this was still required especially in policy matters on job opportunities, education, economy and security.

"Efforts to make Bangsa Malaysia a reality, by abolishing the race column in the official government forms, began in 2009. The Cabinet Committee had on July 29, 2009, agreed that forms used by the government (apart from MyKad and certain important documents) be reviewed by the government agencies, to abort race identity information which is not needed.

"Based on a study conducted by government agencies at that time, on the need to include racial identity in official government forms, it was found that using racial identity in official government forms was still needed for certain needs, for the enactment of government policies, especially that involving employment opportunities, education, economy and security,” Liew added.

The minister in charge of law said that the practise is also in line with Article 153 of the Federal Constitution, to preserve the legitimate position and interests of races in Malaysia.

He was responding to a question from Port Dickson MP, Datuk Daniyal Balagopal Abdullah, who had asked the prime minister to state the steps taken by the government, in abolishing racial identity columns in government forms, in an effort to create a Bangsa Malaysia identity.

In 2014, then minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, who is the minister in charge of national unity, suggested that racial classifications be omitted from official government forms owing to what he described as Malaysians’ preoccupation with racial and religious identities.

His proposal received backing from Barisan Nasional (BN) parties such as the MCA and MIC, with the former saying that racial data was pointless in such documents.

However, an Utusan Malaysia editor, took to criticising the suggestion, claiming that such a move is the first step to convince Malays to surrender their Bumiputera benefits and other privileges afforded the community.